I’m a spiritual medium; I communicate important messages and profound insights from the dead to the living, and the way I do this is by going within. Spirits — or spiritual energy — cannot be seen, but only felt, and since feelings come from our hearts and not our heads, to do what I do for a living, I have to quiet my mind and listen and trust what I hear deep within.

This isn’t always easy to do. Like most people, I can easily get caught up in my head, and this clouds my vision — my ability to see and also feel, hear and know the truth. Maybe you’ve had this experience, too, where the noise in your head only serves to confuse a situation? In my new book, Awaken the Spirit Within: 10 Steps to Ignite Your Life and Fulfill Your Divine Purpose, I write about how in order to put the people, circumstances and events of our lives in true perspective, we need to quiet our minds and turn inward for clarity and purposeful direction forward.

We’re all wired differently, so the act of “turning inward” may look very different for you than it does for me. Still, I suggest meditation for everyone. It’s the most direct route I know for getting out of the head and into the heart. While the act of meditation is fairly simple — close your eyes and focus on your breath — it can be helpful to use guided imagery. Try the following 5-Minute Quick Forces of Nature Meditation to quiet your mind so that you can begin to see more clearly the best direction forward for your life.

You can do this meditation anywhere, so long as you’re able to put the “back in five minutes” sign on your head. I often meditate in bed at the start of the day, while sitting in my parked car before heading into the office, during my lunch break, or in the evening as I relax on the couch or enjoy a hot bath. The only consideration is to choose a location and a point during the day where you can sit still and undisturbed for five minutes … and then begin.

Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Take a few slow, deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Mentally set the intention to release all negative noise and mind-inspired banter with each exhalation of your breath. With each breath in, welcome calm, cool thoughts.

Imagine that you’re lying down in the middle of a vast, beautiful field on a bright, sunny day. The field extends for miles all around you and for as far as you can see are wild flowers and blades of bright green grass. Feel the ground underneath you and allow gravity to pull the weight of your body deep down into the earth.

As you continue to breathe, visualize a stream of liquid white light, as bright at the sun, pouring down from the clouds above and in through the top of your head. Let it wash away any racing thoughts or negative noise you may have swirling around. With each slow and steady breath, allow the liquid light to fill every corner of your mind until you feel still, quiet and calm.

Imagine now, a gentle breeze blows across your body and moves the stream of light down through your throat and into your heart. Visualize a pool of white light filling up your heart. Feel it wash away any feelings of anxiety, anger, sadness, pain or fear. As these feelings are washed gently away, your heart begins to glow and grow with brilliant white light. As you continue to breathe, the light that’s pooled in your heart moves down into your belly, releasing any tension you hold there. It then travels down into your pelvis, breaking up and dissolving all negativity or pain you may be carrying between your hips.

On your next breath, the flow of white light drops down into the base of your spine, sending sparks in every direction. Finally, the light extends down through your legs and runs out through the soles of your feet. Imagine that it carries with it any and all negative thoughts or feelings that have gotten stuck within your body. As you continue to breathe, the light slowly drains out of your body and sinks into the earth.

Imagine now that you stand up in the middle of the field. Notice as you slowly begin to walk forward that you feel lighter, brighter, more joyful and free, and that you’re actually radiating white light. A halo of light extends several feet out and in every direction around you. As you move through the rest of your day, know that as you continue to radiate pure light, you will positively influence everyone you come into contact with, and also, you’ll be protected from any dark feelings or thoughts that try to return.